Gods of the Earth
Gods of the Earth | ||||
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Studio album by The Sword | ||||
Released |
April 1, 2008 (release history) | |||
Recorded | 2007 at Folkvang Studios and Premium Recording, Austin, Texas | |||
Genre | Heavy metal, doom metal, stoner metal | |||
Length | 47:59 | |||
Label | Kemado | |||
Producer | J. D. Cronise | |||
The Sword chronology | ||||
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Singles from Gods of the Earth | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Gods of the Earth is the second studio album by American heavy metal band The Sword, released in the United States on April 1, 2008.[3] It gave the band their first experience of commercial success when it peaked at #102 on the Billboard 200 chart.[4] The single released from the album was "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians",[5] which did not chart. Gods of the Earth was later re-released as part of a two-disc box set with Age of Winters on November 25, 2008.[3][6] Their track "The Black River" was featured in the game Guitar Hero: Metallica, released in March 2009. "Maiden, Mother & Crone" is featured in Guitar Hero 5, released in September 2009.
Track listing
All lyrics written by J. D. Cronise; all music composed by The Sword.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The Sundering" (Instrumental) | 2:04 |
2. | "The Frost-Giant's Daughter" | 5:02 |
3. | "How Heavy This Axe" | 3:05 |
4. | "Lords" | 4:57 |
5. | "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians" | 3:28 |
6. | "To Take the Black" | 4:40 |
7. | "Maiden, Mother & Crone" | 3:59 |
8. | "Under the Boughs" | 4:57 |
9. | "The Black River" | 5:53 |
10. | "The White Sea" (Instrumental) | 7:22 |
11. | Untitled (Instrumental hidden track) | 2:23 |
Australian edition | ||
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No. | Title | Length |
12. | "Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings" (ZZ Top cover) | |
13. | "The White Sea" (Live instrumental) |
Japanese edition | ||
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No. | Title | Length |
12. | "Sea of Spears" | 4:46 |
13. | "To Take the Black" (Live) | 4:38 |
14. | "He's Waiting" (The Sonics cover) | 1:55 |
Lyrics
Several songs reference Conan the Barbarian stories by fantasy author Robert E. Howard. "The Frost-Giant's Daughter" is based on Howard's short story by the same name and "The Black River" was inspired by "Beyond the Black River". "To Take the Black" is a direct reference to the Night's Watch in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, while "Maiden, Mother & Crone" is a reference to the Faith of the Seven in the same series.[7]
Personnel
- The Sword
- J. D. Cronise – vocals, guitar, production, mixing
- Kyle Shutt – guitar, mixing
- Bryan Richie – bass, engineering, mixing
- Trivett Wingo – drums, percussion, mixing
- Additional personnel
Release history
Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
---|---|---|---|---|
Europe | March 31, 2008 | Kemado Records | CD album | KEM 073[8] |
United States | April 1, 2008 | Kemado Records | CD album | KEM 071[3] |
LP album | KEM 072[3] | |||
Australia | May 24, 2008 | Impedance Records | CD album | IMP 006[9] |
Japan | June 11, 2008 | Toy's Factory Records | CD album | TFCK-87438[10] |
References
- ↑ "Gods of the Earth". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- ↑ "Rolling Stone Music | Album Reviews". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- 1 2 3 4 "The Sword". Kemado Records. Archived from the original on 2008-06-11. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
- ↑ "Artist Chart History - The Sword". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
- ↑ "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyria > Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
- ↑ "The Sword: Release Limited Edition Box Set". Sonic Dice. 2008-11-21. Archived from the original on 2008-12-06. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
- ↑ Ziemke, Mark (March 4, 2008). "The Sword are Gods of the Earth". Ground Control. Archived from the original on March 8, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
- ↑ "The Sword - Gods Of The Earth (CD/Europe)". The Sword. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
- ↑ "The Sword - Gods Of The Earth (CD/Australia)". The Sword. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
- ↑ "The Sword - Gods Of The Earth (CD/Japan)". The Sword. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved 2008-11-26.